I know it’s the busy season for delivery services, but we’ve had some really disturbing incidents at the house in the last month. I’ve gotten three things from the USPS that were addressed to the wrong house, and one incorrect package from FedEx. Not like, mistaking our house for the house next door. I’m talking about the wrong street, or in the case of yesterday’s package, the wrong part of town.

This makes me wonder how much of our mail is going to the wrong address, and if any of those people ever put our mail back in their mail box. I guess this is why sensitive financial and account information isn’t printed on statements any more. I should be worried about my mail carrier giving my mail to the wrong person more than someone rummaging through my garbage.

The thing that makes me the most pissed off is how our letter carrier handled a recent parcel sent to me via an eBay merchant. The eBay merchant sent the package with a signature confirmation request. My order was shipped on the 23rd of November. On the 28th I watched the USPS truck drive by our mailbox and motor on. I went out, expecting the usual junk mail and Netflix movies. Instead, we received a “Sorry We Missed You” card. The card stated that a delivery attempt was made and that if I didn’t either come get the package or allow the carrier to drop the package without a signature my parcel would be returned to the sender.

I work from home. I work with the window shade up so I can see people drive down my street or spot delivery trucks. I watched the mail carrier drive up to our mailbox, put the letters in, and drive off. She did not come up to the door, only to find our house empty. I imagine she did this to save herself a trip out of her truck — either I would have to do her job for her and go to the post office or allow her to just leave the package on the porch without waiting for a signature.

Does anyone know the proper way to make a complaint? One mistake in awhile, especially, during such a busy season, is understandable. But three times in a month? No way.

6 Comments on "I don't order THAT much stuff online."

You could consider a visit to your local post office, 1.77 miles from your home (search from http://www.usps.gov).

I would complain to USPS, the eBay merchant, *and* eBay. Advise the merchant and eBay via email that this makes you disinclined to use the USPS, and cut-and-paste that into your web submission to USPS. Sadly, no email address is listed under contacts, just “email us” that actually brings up a web form.

I have had identical experiences to your delivery failure attempt error, but with Fedex. In one case I worked from home the days I was expecting a delivery and kept getting the same slip suggesting I’d need to pick it up. On the ‘final’ delivery attempt I got another slip and decided to call customer service… Long story short, I’ve learned that if you’re enough of a sonofabitch you can get them to turn a truck around for delivery. Don’t know if you can reach a similar USPS service center.

I recently ran into the same “sorry we missed” from USPS when I was actually walking in my front door as they dumped the notice in my mailbox 20 feet (maybe) away. When I picked up the package at the Post Office I tried to lodge a complaint and they were happy to justify the delivery person’s actions by saying “Well it was raining hard that day and they didn’t want to get out of the truck any more than absolutely necessary.” but it wasn’t raining and they walk our street to deliver the mail cuz you can’t reach the mailboxes from the truck. It wouldn’t bother me as much if the notice said “You have a package that you need to pick up at the post office.” instead of “Sorry we missed you.”.

I’ve had the twist-side of this with UPS: when I lived in Maryland, they dropped a $450 digital camera I had ordered online right off on my doorstep, and never knocked. I was unemployed at the time and waiting for their arrival at home. Just bloody insane.